Ayoba® an instant messaging app with channels has now 3 dedicated channels providing trusted information on the COVID-19. Mainly sourced from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the information aims at informing ayoba® users about the pandemic, tips and advice in line with global and local regulations. Content is posted every day in both English and French on 3 channels including a dedicated channel for South Africa providing the latest on the pandemic.

Launched in May 2019, ayoba® has now over 2,500,000 active users and is moving toward being the first super-app for Africa. Soon to be integrating services such as Mobile Money, music and app-in-app solutions, ayoba® is surely making a difference in the landscape of applications in Africa and beyond. 

Ayoba® is partnering with MTN in 14 countries and in the majority of its operations the application offers MTN subscribers subsidized data to access the messaging service and channels for free.

Announced o Friday, 20 March, MTN South Africa has launched the ayoba® Data Lifeline and every MTN South Africa customer will wake up each morning to a free 20MB ayoba® Data Lifeline, that will be available to use via the app.

 “MTN believes that everyone deserves the benefit of a modern connected life and that starts with connectivity. The 20MB ayoba® Data Lifeline will ensure MTN South Africa customers are able to communicate with friends and family, every day, even when they are out of airtime. This is the equivalent of 600MB of free data per month, every month,” says Godfrey Motsa, MTN SA CEO.

MusicTime® the music streaming app of SIMFY Africa has created a series of unique playlists under the name “QuaranTime”. Users of the app now have access to 14 playlists “@home” offering the community the much needed entertainment during the isolation declared in many countries around the African continent. MusicTime® is available in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Cameroon.  MusicTime offers a trial period of 60 minutes to allow users to explore the platform with no data or music costs.

Speaking on the release of the COVID-19 informative channels, Olivier Prentout, Head of Consumer for SIMFY Africa, said “We felt it was very important to inform our users about the pandemic and to provide trusted information as there is a lot of fake news circulating everywhere. We are ensuring that every piece of content is checked against the World Health Organisation and other reputable organisations. We also know that it is a difficult time for many of us and providing various playlists on our music streaming application will surely help everyone to cope with the needed isolation required to eradicate the pandemic”.